


alone [but at least i have you]

by brilliantcastiel



Category: The Martian (2015), The Martian - All Media Types, The Martian - Andy Weir
Genre: Angst, Ares 3, F/M, Fight me on it, Mark and OC Stuck on mars, NASA sends 7 instead of 6, slight au?, tags will be updated as story goes along.
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-06
Updated: 2021-01-08
Packaged: 2021-03-05 02:34:02
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 12
Words: 11,039
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25107040
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/brilliantcastiel/pseuds/brilliantcastiel
Summary: When Olivia Brooks is selected as the 7th and final member of the Ares III mission, the one dream for herself has come true. She would finally be living out her dream of visiting Mars. But, what happens when disaster strikes, leaving her stranded on the Red Planet alongside Mark Watney?[Temporary Title for now.]
Relationships: Chris Beck/Beth Johanssen, Mark Watney/Original Character(s)
Comments: 11
Kudos: 30





	1. SOL 18

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for clicking on this story! Don't forget to leave your thoughts down below.

Hello y'all! 

Your local _The Martian_ fan here! I was watching the movie a couple days ago and got the idea that has started this fanfic, and also due to the fact that i have nothing to do while I recover from what I'm sure is COVID-19. I have the movie on again now as a type this haha. I really hope you all enjoy this!

This is going to be a slight AU, due to the fact that there is a seventh member- our lead OC, Olivia "Liv" Brooks. I'm pretty excited to get going with her and her character and I hope you all love her character as much as I do. 

-Addison

* * *

SOL 18; ARES III HAB OUTSIDE

The view out here was amazing. 

There was no way that she could ever get sick of it. 

Clearing her throat, the woman went back to work.

Today was going to be an amazing day. She was so sure of it.

Of course, she was wrong. 

_Oh so very wrong._

* * *

She could hear Rick and Mark chatting over the communication system, which meant that he left his channel open. Again. They really needed to stop doing that. 

They always did that. Most of the time she loved hearing their banter, but she knew that it pissed the Commander off. 

“Watney, you keep leaving your channel open.” She heard Commander Lewis’ voice through her com. Stifling her own laughs, Olivia just went back to gathering her samples. A couple seconds later, she could hear the signal being cut, and she shook her head. 

How she put up with them, she had no idea. 

She could hear the Commander apologizing to Vogel, and she shook her head again. Placing the cap on the last of the samples she grabbed, she pushed herself up from the ground. Blowing out a breath, she was headed back over to where Vogel and Commander Lewis were. 

Olivia could hear Johanssen talking about an update from Mission Control, something about a dust storm. They had been briefed about it that morning, but it didn’t raise any concerns then. Which obviously meant something had most likely changed. 

She heard the command for everyone to head inside the HAB. As Liv moved closer to the HAB, she let her eyes drift up to the sky. Sure enough, there was a dark dust wall headed their way. 

Well fuck. 

* * *

And fuck indeed. 

The storm was projected to be worse. So much worse. 

The tension in the air was tense, and Liv knew something was going to happen. 

“Based on current escalation, estimate a force of, eighty-six hundred Newtons.”

“What’s the abort force?” She could hear herself, and Mark asked at the same time. 

“7,500” Beck spoke from his spot from the counter. Olivia leaned against it, and griminced. 

“That’s not good.” She muttered. 

She could hear Martinez mentioning something about how much the MAV could take. Would they really abort the mission? They were only 18 days in. 

“So we’re done? We’re scrubbed?” Olivia asked, her tone sharper than what she wanted it to be. 

“There’s a chance that it won’t be as bad.” She heard Martinez. 

“We could just wait it out.” She heard Vogel say from besides her, and Mark quickly agreeing. 

After a couple more seconds of silent, they got their answer. 

“Begin preparing for emergency departure.” 

Damn it. 

* * *

It was a race to pack everything up, with made Olivia glad that she left everything in her room that she didn’t need. Pulling her EVA suit on again, she adjusted it and took one last look around the Hab. 

She was disappointed and sad to be leaving so soon, but it was for the best. If they waited it out, the MAV could tip, and then they all would be stranded there. 

“Ready?” She could hear Johanssen call to her, and Liv nodded. 

“Ready.” 

They all got into the airlock. 

“Visibility is almost zero. If you get lost, home in on my suit’s telemetry. The wind’s gonna be rougher away from the Hab, be ready.” She could hear Commander’s voice through the com. 

Let’s do this. 

As soon as the airlock was opened, the force of the wind was immense. Olivia staggered and struggled to keep herself upright. Fuck was it difficult. The trek out was worse, and she felt Mark grab her hand, and she shot him a grateful smile. 

Of course, while they were getting ready, she had thought of a way to keep the MAV from tipping, involving the cables from the Com dish. But now that she was out in the storm, she knew that there was no way for her to get there and to the MAV before it tipped. 

“Hey guys. I think I know a way to keep the MAV from tipping.” She could hear Mark call over the Com. 

“How?” Came Commander Lewis’ response, and Liv faltered but caught herself from falling. 

“We could use cables from the solar farm as guy lines.The rovers could be anchors. The trick would be getting around the--” 

That’s when disaster struck. 

Quickly, almost like a blur she felt something slam into Mark sending him flying, ripping his hand from hers. She could hear the crew calling for him, and was about to call out herself, when she saw the other part of the communication dish coming straight for her. 

Well fuck. 

Then it all went dark.

* * *

A couple minutes later, the MAV lifts off, painting the area in light. 

Unknown to the crew, two astronauts were alive. Unconscious, but alive.


	2. sol 19

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> SOL 19; Olivia discovers something that changes her plans.

_ When I was a kid, all I dreamed about was seeing what was beyond Earth. I wanted nothing more than to travel the stars and see what all the Universe had to offer. I wanted to be the one to discover something big. Perhaps I would discover something new on Mars, or discover something on the Moon. It was always my dream to become an Astronaut.  _

_ I was born in 2005, graduated high school at age 16 in 2021. I already had enough college credits to skip the first two years of University. I graduated from Arizona State University with a Masters degree in Geology, and a minor in Chemistry in 2023. I joined the NASA training program that same year, completing the training needed by 2026. I was in the graduating group number twenty-five. _

_ I found my love for all things space when I was three. My father worked at NASA as well as with Space X and sometimes would take me with him to work when I was a kid. I had my dream set in stone by the age of fourteen, and knew that I just had to make it my career. Luckily the high school i went to had a chance for you to start taking college credit classes starting in the tenth grade.  _

_ Then I got selected for the Ares III mission. I was overjoyed, and my parents were so proud of me. Said I would go on to do amazing things on the mission.  _

_ Of course I never expected to die on it.  _

_ I never really imagined how my life would end. I always thought I would of had more time. But, what I did know, is that if I wanted to go out, I would go out doing what I loved best.  _

_ Of course, I never expected to survive on a deserted planet where nothing can survive.  _

* * *

SOL 19; Near ARES III HAB; MID MORNING.

With a groan, the female’s eyes fluttered opened. Her oxygen alarm was screeching in her ear. Letting a groan slip out, Olivia’s tried to move her body around. It hurt. With the Oxygen alarm screaming, she was most likely almost out of oxygen and needed to get back to the HAB. 

She was still struggling with the fact that she was still alive. 

She managed to pull herself into a sitting position, groggy and head pounding painfully. Blinking her eyes, she let herself take in the sights around her. She could still see the HAB, thankfully. It only seemed to be a fourth a mile away. 

Cringing, the blonde got herself up onto her feet, her body wildly unsteady. Her side was on fire. She mostly bruised it from where she got hit with the Com dish. On shaky feet, Olivia started to stumble her way back to the HAB. It was then that she realized the severity of the problem. 

The MAV was gone. 

  
Which meant that the  _ crew _ was gone. 

She was  _ alone. _

Blowing out a breath, she 

Well her day just got a whole lot better. 

With her breath coming out in pants, she managed to get the airlock open and waited for it to pressurize before heading to the main part of the HAB. 

Never in a million years did she expect to see Mark Watney. 

They sort of stared at each other for a second. 

“What the fuck are you doing here?” She asked him, as she started to peel off her EVA suit, wincing as she eased the fabric from her side and hip. 

“I could ask you the same thing! I thought you left with the Crew!” he spoke, patching up what looked like a wound in his side. Moving quickly, she grabbed what she would need to patch herself up and set herself on a seat, now letting her eyes drift to her side. Surprisingly enough, there was only a little wound, and after applying some cream to it, finally saw how bad the bruise was. 

“I was hit with the smaller communications disk. Sent me flying a quarter of a mile away and knocked me out.” She winced as she jammed a syringe of pain meds into her side. The bruise was huge, covering her whole hip, from just below her ribs to her upper thigh. 

It would hurt for a while. 

But, this situation got a bit better. At least she wouldn’t die alone. 

“So tell me,” She started as she moved to where she kept her clothes, grabbing a shirt and sweatpants. “How fucked are we?” 

A sigh. 

“Honestly? We’re going to somehow make something happen so that we survive til Ares Four gets here in about four years. I’m sure we can think of something.” He spoke, throwing the trash away and pulling on a clean shirt. 

“I mean, we’re bound to find something. Can’t be that hard. I like to think we’re smart enough.” Olivia laughed. Shaking his head, Mark just smiled at her. Pulling a blanket around himself, she watched as he started recording a log. 

“This is Mark Watney. Astronaut. I’m entering this log for the record, in case I don’t make it. It’s oh-six-fifty-three on Sol 19. And I’m still alive.” 

“Obviously.” Liv cut in, as she swung her legs. He just shook his head at her as he continued. 

“But I’m guessing this is going to be a surprise to our crewmates. And NASA. And... the world. So... surprise.I- along with Olivia Brooks- didn’t die on Sol 18. Best I can tell,” Mark held up the jagged piece of antenna. “this length of our primary communications antenna tore through my bio-monitor. And ripped a hole in me as well. It was horrible, thank you for asking.” Liv let out a laugh “But the antenna and the blood managed to seal the breach in my suit. Which kept me alive. Even though the team must have thought I was dead. Commander Lewis, If you ever hear this, Listen. It wasn’t your fault. Just bad luck. You did what you had to do, and if I had been in your position I would have done the same. I’m glad you guys made it. We both are.”

Liv got up from her spot and grabbed the other chair and pulled it over to Mark, sitting next to him. Leaning in close, she took over for him.

“And that’s where we’re at. Mark Watney and Olivia Brooks, currently stranded on Mars. We have no way to contact NASA because our communications antenna broke and stuck into Mark’s stomach. Which we’ve covered. I got hit with the smaller dish.” She lifted up her shirt to show the beginning of the bruise. “And even if we could, it would take about four years before the next manned mission gets here. And we’re currently in a Hab designed to last thirty-one days. If the oxygenator breaks, we’ll suffocate. If the water reclaimer breaks, we'll die of thirst. If the Hab breaches, we'll just sort of... implode. And if, by some miracle, none of that happens... eventually we’re going to run out of food. So... yeah. “ She paused and cleared her throat. 

Clicking the end button, she leaned back in her seat. Letting out a sigh, she let her head rest on her crewmates shoulder. 

“We’ll be okay? Right?” She asked, her voice coming out in a whisper. 

“I’ll make sure we’ll be okay.” Mark promised, letting his head rest against hers. 


	3. sol 21-22

SOL 21- ARES III HAB; LATE MORNING

Blearily walking into the kitchen, Liv blindly reached into the container that held the coffee packets. Making it, she took a drink as she grabbed a ration pack of sausage. After preparing it according to the instructions on the package, she placed it onto a plate, moving back to the rations. Selecting something that would resemble eggs for Watney, she prepared it and placed it on a plate along with another cup of a coffee. 

“Rise and Shine starshine!” She sang out as she peeled the covers off of him. 

“Go away.” Was the response she received. Shaking her head, she pushed him softly. 

“I made coffee!” Liv spoke as she moved to go back to the table. 

A couple minutes later, Watney joined her, a slight smile on his face. He was up to something. They talked quietly over breakfast, and decided what they would do that day. Liv would count the rations they had and Mark would check over all the systems to check on them. After throwing out the empty ration packs, Liv grabbed the other containers of rations, along with her notebook and pen. 

Setting her music to play over the speaker, she got to work. Grabbing a stack of the different types, she’d count how many there were before jotting down the number and the name of the pack. 

“... Thirty-Six of the general tso’s chicken.” She hummed as she wrote it down, and let herself lean back. 

“Get everything counted?” She heard Watney ask from over by the computers. 

“Everything is counted for!” She grinned. 

She grabbed the containers, now neatly organized and placed them back into the cabinets, passing the box of potatoes that NASA sent for thanksgiving. 

Hmm…

-

She could hear him speaking quietly to the small camera they had in their bunks to do logs. It was early in the morning, around one-thirty. The blonde had spent the last hour tossing and turning, unable to turn the howling winds that were pounding against the canvas of the Hab out. With nothing else to do, she turned on her side to better listen to Mark. 

“Let’s do the math... Our surface mission here was supposed to take thirty-one days. For redundancy, they sent enough food to last for seventy-five days. For seven people. So for just me and Liv, it’ll last three-hundred ish days. And I figure we can stretch that to four hundred if we ration. So,I’ve still gotta figure out how to grow three years worth of food. Here. On a planet where nothing grows. Luckily, I’m the botanist. Mars will come to fear my botany powers! Oh, and Liv’s geology!” Liv couldn’t help but softly laugh at that. 

She was sure, out of the both of them that it would be him to think of something to save them.

At least somehow.

* * *

SOL 22-HAB KITCHEN

“I know a way to save us.” 


	4. growth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> more things happening in the HAB.

SOL 22-HAB KITCHEN [Continued] 

* * *

“You do? Does it involve what I heard you logging about earlier this morning?” Liv questioned, sipping her coffee, still slowly waking up. Sleep had been hard to come by, she didn’t pass out until about four-thirty in the morning. 

“Indeed it does young one,” He grinned at her as he ripped open a ration pack, not taking the time to look at what kind it was. 

“Let’s just say that it isn't going to be easy. But, it’s manageable.” 

-

After clearing the kitchen, moving everything around and taping up the circle that was the kitchen, they donned their EVA kits and set off for the Martian surface. Mark set off to the waste bin, set on gathering all of what was in it while Olivia started digging and filling empty large containers and pulling them back into the HAB. She could only bring a couple containers in at a time, and set them off to the empty space they made for them until they were needed. 

She watched from afar as Mark ripped into the silver packages, dumping the waste into a bucket of water that had been filled from the water reclaimer. She was glad that she wasn’t in that room, she thought as she watched him start to gag. 

“Remember, this is your idea.” She called to him from outside over her Com. 

All she got was a rude finger gesture in response. 

* * *

SOL 24; HAB KITCHEN

Spreading dirt around a marked out area was harder than it sounded. Well, at least for Liv. All she had to do was pour out the containers and carefully spread all the area. 

SOL 25; HAB KITCHEN

More dirt and more pouring. Safe to say, Liv was sick of it already. 

  
  


SOL 28; HAB KITCHEN

_ Finally _ , all of the soil had been placed in the area and carefully made even. Who knew that botany was so much goddamn work? Now came the gross part. Luckily Mark had the mind to warn her, so she grabbed her EVA helmet and shoved it over her head as he opened the lid to the container. And even with her helmet, she still could smell some of it, and dear jesus did it smell. 

“Jesus fuck,” She spoked out. “Please tell me it’s going to go away?” 

A sheepish grin. 

SOL 29; HAB BEDROOM 

Another dust storm. Granted this one was a small one, but it didn’t stop Liv from getting lost in the flashback of SOL 18. 

SOL 31; HAB KITCHEN

Today was planting day. 

Liv watched from her place outside the kitchen, as Watney moved with precision and ease. He obviously knew what he was doing. She hummed softly as she moved back to her spot at one of the still empty lab tables, grabbing her laptop and pulling it closer to her. She had gone through the boxes of the Crew’s personal items and grabbed the data sticks that they had brought with them. Lewis’ had a bunch of 70’s shows and music. Vogel’s stuff was mostly in German. Beck just had a bunch of medical things. Johannsen’s held shows from the early to late 2000s, which Liv would watch first. 

Her own stick held music and her favorite show, Doctor Who. All 18 current seasons. She also brought a couple books with her. She left most of them on the Hermes, only bringing her favorites with her. 

“At least we’ll be set for a while!” Olivia yelled over to her crewmate, waving the data sticks in her hand. 

SOL 36; HAB BEDROOM.

“The issue is water.” Liv spoke, as she leaned back into her bunk, notebook in hand. The camera was already going, as she clicked her pen a couple times. “Mark and I already did all the math,” She started, “we’ve created one-hundred and twenty-six square meters of soil. But each cubic meter needs forty liters of water to be farmable. So, we -more like Mark- has to figure out how to make a lot of water. Fortunately, I know the recipe. Take hydrogen. Add oxygen. Burn. Unfortunately ya know burn. I have hundreds of liters of unused Hydrazine from the MDV. If I run the Hydrazine over an iridium catalyst, it’ll separate into N2 and H2…” She trailed off, jotting down on her notebook. 

She watched as Mark started to set up everything in the HAB kitchen. 

Science time. 

Mark duct taped torn trash-bags to create a tent, which he used to cover his work table. He tore an air hose from one of the space suits, taped it to the tent, and hung it from the roof. He does something to vent pure oxygen from a tank, lights it with a spark from battery wires. Whoosh. Points the flame at the wood shavings. 

So far everything was going good. 

Mark holds the torch, starts the Hydrazine flow. The Hydrazine sizzles on the iridium and evaporates away. 

It’s working. 

Mark checks his instruments. He and Liv watches the temperature,with Liv focusing on the instruments.

SOL 36; HAB BEDROOM [EARLIER] 

Liv grinned as she pointed the camera to get both her and Watney into frame.” Believe it or not, the challenge has been finding something that will hold a flame. NASA hates fire. Because of the whole “fire makes everyone die in space” thing. So everything we brought with us is flame retardant. With the notable exception of... Martinez’ personal items. “ Watney held up what looked like a cross as he picked up where Liv left off. 

“Sorry, Martinez. If you didn’t want me to go through your stuff, you shouldn’t have left me for dead on a desolate planet. “ She bumped into his shoulder, a grin on her face. She finished off the rest of the math as he started to shave down the cross into shards. 

A thought popped into her head as she finished the equations. 

“ We should probably take into account the excess oxygen you’ll be expelling as you do this.” He nodded, and his eyes lit up. 

“I didn’t think of that.” 

SOL 36; HAB KITCHEN [PRESENT TIME]

And so their plan worked. 

Sure the HAB heated up to a somewhat decent thirty four to thirty six degrees celsius. It honestly could have been worse, Liv noted as she grabbed her part of the ration pack. She wasn’t one to complain.

SOL 40; OUTSIDE OF HAB

It was Liv’s turn to clean off the solar panels for that week. She worked quickly as she could, using the machine to blow off the dust that had built up. 

SOL 50; HAB BEDROOM

Another day, another science experiment. This time was focused on the rocks that she had collected that morning. She had cracked them open, and placed them on a slide, and carefully lowered it so that she could expect it. 

SOL 54; HAB KITCHEN 

A sprout. 

Finally some proof that something was growing!

The female had excitedly woken up Mark, with an exclaimed “Come quick!” and practically dragged him to the small windows that they cut out. 

“There’s something growing!” 

[EARTH; SOL 54; ARRLINGTON NATIONAL CEMERTARY] 

“Our nation was blessed to have Mark Watney and Olivia Brooks serving in our space program. Both of their losses will be deeply felt, but the men and women of NASA will soldier forth, onward and upward, unbroken in the mission of their agency. In doing so, they honor the legacy Mark, and Olivia leave behind, and they ensure their sacrifice will not be in vain.” 

SOL 67; ARES III HAB KITCHEN

“What do you want to start tonight? We have Doctor Who and something that involves vampires?” 


	5. sol 68-71

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Plans for them to get to Pathfinder! And a solution to the heating problem.

_**SOL 68; HAB KITCHEN** _

* * *

"It's time to start thinking long term," Olivia spoke as she got the camera rolling. Watney in the back working on the potato farm. Since that first sprout, the farm had just burst to life. SHe traced the map of Mars, letting her finger go from where they were to where Ares 4 would be. A sigh escaped her lips.

"The next NASA mission is Ares 4. It's supposed to land at the Schiaparelli Crater, 3,200 km away. Mark and I somehow have to figure out how to get there within the next four years." She raised the pen to her temple, a headache already starting to form. "We have two rovers, both will go a max distance of 35 kilometers before they need to be recharged at the Hab. That's problem A. Problem B is it'll take us about fifty days to make the journey. So we have to be able to live for fifty days. Inside a rover with marginal life support the size of a small van. And yeah, problem C is if I don't figure out how to make contact with NASA in the first place, none of this matters anyway. " Liv finished as she let her head flop back against the back of the chair.

"So, yes, in the face of overwhelming odds, I am left with only one option: I'm gonna have to science the shit out of this." Mark took over, a grin on his face. "We, have to science the absolute fuck out of this." With a laugh, he ended the video feed. Sighing out, Liv reached for the bottle of painkillers, taking two of them dry.

"I have a probably stupid idea, but an idea." She spoke out as she tapped her fingers against the side of the bunk, pulling the map of the area closer to her.

"Shoot."

"Pathfinder, but hear me out first. It stopped working back in '97 most likely because the battery stopped working. I say, one of us goes and gets it, we plug it into the power of the HAB and see if anything happens. It's our best shot of getting communication between us and NASA."

"No, No. I see your point. Here, hand me the map, we can figure out the distance."

Mark grabbed the ruler out of Liv's hand, plotting the two points and connected them.

"Should be about 2373 kilometers from here. If either one of us can figure out how to get the battery out of Rover 2 into rover one, it should only take us about forty days to get there and back." He spoke, with Liv quickly writing everything down.

"What if we attach the battery from rover 2 with the extra pieces of the HAB? Like, make a harness of some sorts and attach it there." The female questioned as she started to write down on a new page.

"You know, that might actually work."

* * *

_**SOL 71; HAB Airlock** _

"You have everything?" Watney's voice came over her com. Checking the things in her arm, she made sure to count them.

"Everything is here. I should only be an hour." She responded, as she depressurized the airlock and stepped out onto the Martian surface. She hummed softly as she made her way over to the two rovers, setting her things down beside rover one. Taking out the battery from rover two took a bit to do, and even in 0.4 g, it was difficult. Even in the Mars gravity, it was still probably around 300 pounds. She tugged it across to the other Rover, and grabbed the extra canvas. Carefully weaving the pieces of canvas together, the female was able to get it into something that resembled a harness and secured it with resin.

As soon as it was set, she slowly raised it up to the underside of the other Rover, and secured the battery into place. It held well, but the true test would be a quick drive around. Unplugging the original battery, and plugged in battery two. After getting into the Rover, she held her breath as it started up, power holding strong.

"Hey, I got everything done, it seems to be holding strong. I'm going to take it on a test run, I should be back by mid-day or sometime this evening." She spoke over her com, letting herself sit back into the seat.

"Sounds good! Might use your flash drive and watch something you have on it. Be safe Brooks."

"Copy that Watney."

Time for a drive, with some of the best views in the whole solar system.

* * *

Two hours in, she was absolutely freezing.

"Damn it, I didn't think it would get this cold." Olivia spoke, teeth chattering. She had made the decision to not turn the heaters on to save more battery, but now that just seemed to be the wrong decision. "The only upside to this, is that I get more out of the battery." She shivered again, breath coming out in little clouds. "Okay, fuck, I'm calling it." she quickly pressed the button that turned the heater on.

Turning the rover back around, she started back for the HAB, the interior of the rover slowly starting to warm up. At least the harness was holding. She was excited to let Mark know that everything was going as planned, and that they could hopefully start the journey to Pathfinder by the end of that week.

But first, they had to find a solution to the heating problem.

"Okay! So that wasn't that terrible. But, it would have been better if I wasn't freezing my goddamn ass off." Olivia spoke, as she started to take her suit off as soon as she was back in the HAB.

"You have a solution don't you?" Mark could see the knowing glint in Brook's eyes.

"Oh, when don't I have one?" She grinned as she placed her suit back up, grabbing a long sleeve shirt and tugging it on.

"How's the bruise?" Was asked as she grabbed a dinner packet and ripped it open.

"It's almost completely gone, no pain whatsoever. How's your side?" She asked back, as she started into her food.

"Almost done healing, I'm going to have one hell of a scar when we're done with this."

"Oh, my plan about the heating," She pointed a finger at him. "How do you feel about digging up the RTG?"

"You mean the thing that is never supposed to be dug up, and the one we took all those training hours on?" His eyebrow arched. Was she really going to suggest something so stupid.

"Well, I mean it sounded like a good idea in my head." She spoke, digging her teeth into her bottom lip. "We wouldn't be cold during the long drives that I'm sure are ahead." She shrugged.

"It's not that it doesn't sound like a good idea, it does. It's just the fact that it seems dangerous, but we might be able to make something that keeps the radiation inside of it from getting to us. I can go and get it at some point tomorrow." Mark said, a grin building on his face.

"I'll try to fashion something together while you do that."

* * *

That night, she layed in her bunk, a thin blanket over her. The heat was manageable in the day, but at night she had to take to using a thin blanket to cover her. Letting out a sigh, she made the move to get up, knowing that she probably wouldn't be able to sleep for a while.

Grabbing her laptop, she headed to the lab desk by the kitchen, set to do some more math and planning the trip to Pathfinder.

She hoped everything would go well, as this was most likely their only chance to talk to Earth and NASA.


	6. SOL 72-119

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Replanting potatos and Pathfinder

_**SOL 72; HAB BEDROOM** _

She could hear the airlock opening. Mark seemed to be back from getting the RGT. He had left that morning, at around noon and it was only just turning two in the afternoon. As soon as he could see her, he gave her two thumbs up. 

Success. 

She watched from her spot on her bunk as he took his EVA suit off, and placed it back on the hook. 

“I take it everything went well?” She couldn’t help but question. 

“Went as good as it could. Made a couple logs that you can watch when you get the chance. How’s the shield coming along for it?” He asked as he grabbed a water bottle, emptying almost the entire thing in one drink. 

“It's going.” She shrugged. “Should have it done tonight and we can get it fitted onto the RTG some point tomorrow morning or afternoon. That is, if I don’t get it done any sooner.” Liv smiled, pulling her laptop closer to her, a yawn escaping her. 

“Didn’t sleep well, did you?” He asked as he took the spot next to her. 

A nod. 

“I tried falling asleep around midnight but I just couldn’t sleep. Tossed and turned for a couple hours before getting up and starting a bit more of the math to help us get to Pathfinder. “ She reached for her notebook and pulled it over to her. “So if we can get around seventy kilometers a day with both batteries. We can charge them with the extra solar panels. So with going seventy kilometers a day, and Pathfinder being around 2373 kilometers, it should take us about three weeks to get there, and three weeks to get back. One of us will have to stay here with the farm to make sure everything goes okay.” 

“So one of us will be gone for about forty two days. That’s not terrible, could be worse.” He grinned, tapping his fingers onto the bench. “Which one of us do you think should go?” 

“I was thinking you, since if something goes wrong with the rover, you would be able to fix it. And I can start on the experiments that were supposed to be done.” 

“Sounds like a plan. We should be able to start reping and re-sow the potato plants before I head out!” 

* * *

_**SOL 79; HAB KITCHEN** _

Pulling up another plant, she placed it into the container before moving onto the next one. She could see Mark going through another box, separating the potatoes. The bigger ones would be their food source, the smaller ones would be replanted. Finishing up that row, she carried the box over to where the other ones were, a smile on her face. 

“How’s it going so far?” She asked as she grabbed the water from the table, taking a few sips from it. 

“So far so good. Should be able to replant these by tonight!” 

“And with the radiation shield, you should be able to head to Pathfinder in the next couple days.” She laughed out, “And I promise I won’t kill the potatoes.” 

“Holding you to that Brookes.” He shook his finger, teasingly at her. 

“No promises.” 

* * *

_**SOL 82; HAB BEDROOM** _

Mark had left a couple days ago on Sol 80, and he had just left the area of where they could still communicate. At least they could text chat, which was nice. After finishing up the experiments that her Commander was supposed to do, she set about placing everything back to where it was supposed to go. 

How was she going to last six weeks with only herself to keep her company. 

Olivia was just thankful that she had Mark with her on Mars. 

She would have never lasted on her own. 

* * *

_**SOL 90; HAB KITCHEN** _

More potato watching. 

More experiments. 

She had finished Beck’s readings and whatever was included in what he was going to do. 

Johanssen didn’t have much, so she was able to finish it within a day or so. Vogel’s chemistry shit would have to wait for Watney to get back. That left only her own work to do. Observing the various rocks and dirt samples she had taken from different spots on the surface. 

* * *

**SOL 100; HAB AIRLOCK**

Another EVA to clean the surface panels. 

More geology work. 

Another check in with Mark. Who had told her he was already on his way back with Pathfinder. He would be back in a couple of days.

* * *

_**SOL 102**_

The airlocked hissed open. Olivia looked up from her spot on her bunk, and watched as Mark walked in. In his arms was a smaller rover. 

“We got it.”


	7. SOL 102

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> do they make contact with NASA? + a little bit of background.

SOL 102- continued

“So that small one must be Sojourner.” 

It was kind of cute. 

A little tiny rover. 

She cleared off the table and helped Watney set it up, a smile on her face. He quickly pulled her into a hug. It was nice to have him back, she spent most nights too anxious to sleep. Most nights she was getting around two or three hours of sleep, on a good night. Some nights she was up all night, surviving on caffeine pills and coffee. 

She relaxed into the hug, a sigh leaving her mouth. 

“How much are we going to have to do to get Pathfinder working again?” She asked against his chest. 

“Shouldn’t be too much, you feel up for it?” He asked her softly, his hand on the back of her head, holding her closer to him. 

Olivia always did have a love for electronics and for the Lander, so that would be perfect for her. It would, or at least should be easy. All she had to do was take out the old battery, place in the environmental heater and plug in a power source from the HAB. Then, hopefully they would regain contact with NASA and Earth. 

Donning her EVA suit, Liv grabbed what she would need, carefully placed them in her arms and headed out of the airlock. It took around twenty minutes to pry open the compartment that she needed opened. And another ten minutes to place the heater in and to plug in the power plug from the HAB. 

The true moment. 

It would be around thirty minutes or so for the message to come in, so while she waited, she started to gather samples that she needed for her next experiment. She was hoping to look for more traces of water in the soil as well as in the rocks. 

A mere thirty or so minutes later, she heard that amazing noise. Pathfinder starting up, and the antenna starting to look for contact. She let out a scream of joy, pumping her first in the air. Taking in a deep breath, she called to Mark. “It worked! We need to get something out here to see if they’re receiving us.” 

Heading back into the HAB, she could hear him rushing around, grabbing the small dry erase boards they brought with them and frantically writing on three of them. 

_ ‘Are you receiving us?’ _

_ ‘Yes’  _

_ ‘No’ _

Grabbing some stakes, she attached the boards that were passed to her before heading out again. After making sure they were in the ground enough, she waited again. Samples had already been collected, so all she was left with was her thoughts. 

_ What would happen if they couldn’t regain contact?  _

_ How long would they last? _

_ Would they really have to wait the four years for the next mission?  _

Blowing out a breath, she dragged her fingers through the dirt, still unable to believe that she was indeed on Mars. When she was selected for the team, she knew that the next few years were going to be rough, and was determined to make a good impression on her new crewmates. 

And good impression she made. 

Rick was the first one that showed up on the night they decided to go out, instantly drawing Olivia in to a large hug. He joked with her as the others arrived, and instantly made her nerves vanish. 

The next person to show up was Mark, a wide grin on his face, hands in his pockets. He and Rick instantly hit it off, trying to one up each other in puns, and all Olivia could do was shake her head softly and laugh. 

Beth and Beck showed up next, weaving their way through the tables, and Olivia greeted them with a smile and a hug. Her and Beth instantly clicked, bonding over the fact that they were the two youngest and the shortest members of the crew. Her and Beck bonded over their love for medical things, Olivia having taken multiple medical classes during college. 

Vogel was next, instantly making an impact in the group. It allowed for Olivia to slip into his native language, something she had been practicing since she was a kid. The smile that appeared on his face when he heard her in his tongue, made her grin. 

Commander Lewis was the last to arrive, and the group all stood up together. The blonde was pulled into a tight hug from the start. 

The group fell into a comfortable conversation, talking about their hobbies, education, and just anything that came to mind. Olivia knew that they would be alright. 

As the years of training started, the relationships with the crew started to make itself known. Melissa became the mother figure that Olivia needed -her own mother passed away a couple months after her college graduation.- Beth became like the sister she always wanted. Beck, Rick and Vogel became her best friends, someone she could confined in or talk to when it was one of those days. 

Mark was different to say the least. Their bond was different from all the other crew. They bonded on a different level, almost a flirtatious level. Of course, Olivia tried to not fall for the man, but she could admit that he was extremely good looking. Something just told her that something, that their experience on Mars would affect that, but alas, she could not tell in what way. 

The sound of something moving caught her eye, and she snapped her head up to see Pathfinder moving it’s camera. Making her way over as quick as she could, she finally saw where it landed. 

_ ‘Yes’ _

“Mark, they’re receiving us. Oh my fucking god.” She couldn’t help but almost cry out, tears welling up in her eyes. This was something huge, and a smile made its way to her face.

“Holy shit! Okay, this is good! We’re getting somewhere!” He called back, and the blonde made her way back into the airlock, a smile on her face. 


	8. SOL 102;Continued

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Liv and Mark finally make some sort of contact with Earth. 
> 
> //. I took some part of this out of the book.//

_**SOL 102; HAB KITCHEN** _

“I figured one of you fucking nerds would have one of these!” Liv spoke, as she brought herself into frame again, a booklet in her hand. “Somehow, we need to have complex astrophysical engineering conversations using only a still-frame camera. From 1996. Luckily, the camera spins 360, so I can make an alphabet. I just can’t use our alphabet. Twenty-six letters plus question card into 360 gives us 13 degrees of arc. That’s far too narrow. I wouldn’t know what the camera was pointing at. So, hexadecimals to the rescue. Thank you Beth Johanssen! Remind me to buy you a drink or two when we get back home.” Liv praised, as she repacked the box and slid it back into its spot. 

Mark sat at the desk, notecards at the ready. Sliding the booklet over to him, she took the spot next to them. She watched as he marked the cards with the proper label. 

“Hopefully with this we’ll be able to have more complex conversations with NASA.” She spoke softly. 

“Hopefully.” Mark agreed as he gathered the cards in a pile, now done writing on them. 

-

Mark placed the cards up that were marked A through F and Zero through Nine in a circle around the camera. Liv watched from the airlock, nerves high. 

The camera swings from card to card

Liv watched as he wrote down what the camera landed on. She refrained herself from biting on her nails even more than she already had. Satisfied that he got all of the numbers down, Mark headed back for the HAB. 

He passed Liv the pad of paper with the numbers and letters written down and stayed outside as she went back into the kitchen to translate. The ASCII table pulled up in front other she carefully over the next ten minutes transferred the questions NASA wanted them to answer. 

_**H...O...W….. A...L...I...V...E** _

Live grabbed the whiteboard and started writing on it. 

_'Mark was impaled by an antenna fragment, knocked out by a decompression in his suit which the blood sealed. Woke up after the crew left. I was hit by the small coms dish, managed to get hit hard enough I passed out before I landed. When I woke up the low oxygen was blaring. Mark’s healing well and my bruises are almost gone. It’s not the crew fault, they had reason to think that we were both dead.'_

She went and handed the board back to him, and waited by the window of the airlock again. 

Again, another question to translate. 

_**S...T...A...T...U...S** _

_'No physical problems, all HAB components are working perfectly. Eating ¾ rations. Successfully growing crops in the HAB with cultivated soil. Please note; Situation is not Ares III crew’s fault, just bad timing and being at the wrong place at the wrong time.'_

More waiting. 

  
  


_**C...R...O...P...S….?** _

_'Long story. Mark’s extreme botany and little bit my geology. Have 126 m2 farmland growing potatoes. Will extend food supply, but not enough to get us to Ares 4 landing. Modified rover for long distance travel, we’re planning on driving to Ares 4.'_

_**W...E….S...A...W…….S...A...T...L...I...T...E** _

_'The government watching over us with satellites?” Liv laughed as she paused for a moment. “Should of told us, would of brought my tin foil hat with me. Also need faster ways of communication. This method is taking all day. Any Ideas?'_

_**B...R...I...N...G….S....J...N...R...O...U...T** _

_'Sojourner rover has been brought out. Mark placed it one meter north of Pathfinder.If y’all can contact it I can draw hex numbers on the wheels and you can send us six bytes at a time.'_

_**S...J...R...N...O...R….N...O...T….R..S...P...N...D** _

“Fuck.” Olivia swore as she placed her forehead against her hands. Damnit. 

_'Any other ideas?'_

_**W...O...R...K...I...N...G…..O...N….I...T** _

_'Earth is about to set, resume 08:00 our time tomorrow morning. Tell our families that we’re okay. Give the crew our best, and tell Commander Lewis that disco music is the worst.'_

-

  
  
  
  
  
  
  



	9. SOL 103

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> liv and mark establish contact with nasa again.

SOL 103

The sun rises slowly highlighting the Martian plantain. Liv blearly opened her eyes. Letting out a yawn, she pushed herself up, moving her hair out of her eyes. She rubbed the sleep out of her eyes, and moved herself out of her bed and over to where they placed the food. Grabbing a random ration pack, she grabbed a water pouch and headed back to her bed to eat. 

She could see Mark’s bed empty, and he wasn’t in the HAB, so he was most likely talking to Earth. She’d have some cards to translate in a bit. Blowing out a breath, she tucked into the ration pack, mindlessly eating it. She was broken out of her thoughts by the sound of the airlock opening. 

“Hey, you’re awake finally!” Mark called out to her as he removed his helmet, placing it in its slot. He waved the small pile of cards her way, and she felt a smile grow on her face. 

“Hopefully they have some way for us to communicate again.” 

She cleared her throat and made her way to toss the trash and to grab the notecards from the desk, grabbing the ASCII table from its place. 

The small pile of cards made one message, which took a bit of time to figure out. 

_**CNHAKRVR2TLK2PTHFDRPRP4LONGMSG** _

“Can hack rover to talk to Pathfinder, prepare for long message.” Liv read outloud, a smile growing more on her face. 

“How are we going to manage to hack the rover?” Mark asked, leaning against the table. 

“Chances are is that it’s going to be some sort of code for us to input into the rover, and from there we’ll be able to talk to NASA.”

“Thank fuck, finally.” Olivia barked out a laugh, swiping the cards back into a neat pile. 

* * *

Five hours later, and one hacked Rover later, Oliva leaned back into the driver's seat, blowing out a breath. 

“Thank fuck there’s two of us here.” She called over to Mark, who nodded. 

With a beep, their first message came in from NASA. 

_**[11:18] JPL; Mark and Olivia, this is Vincent Kapoor. We have been watching you since Sol 52. The whole world’s been rooting for you two. Amazing job on getting Pathfinder. We’re starting to work on a rescue plan. JPL is adjusting Ares 4’s MDV to do a short overland flight. They’ll pick you two up and take you with them to Schiaparelli. In the meantime, we’re working on a supply mission to keep you fed til Ares 4 arrives.** _

_**[11:29] Brooks; We’re both glad to hear that, we both are really looking forward to not dying. Mark and I just want to make it clear that this was in no way the Crew’s fault.** _

Mark grabbed the keyboard from Olivia, a grin on his face. 

Mark here, What did the crew say when they found out we were still alive? Also, send our love to our parents. 

While they waited for the next response, Olivia grabbed her data stick and started playing some of her favorite songs. 

“This is what you grew up listening to?” He spoke with a smile. “Never would have expected it from shy sweet Olivia Grace Brooks.” She shoved his shoulder, laughter escaping her mouth. 

“Please, that's just so that I get my way.” 

_**[11:41] JPL; Tell us about your “crops.” We’ve estimated your food packs should last til about sol 370 to sol 400 at ¾ ration. Will your crops affect that number? As to your question, we haven’t told the crew that you’re alive yet. They have nine months of travel time left and they need to focus on their own mission.** _

“What the fuck?” Liv gasped out, throwing her hand in the air. How could they not tell the crew that they were alive. 

“God i fucking hate NASA sometimes.” She muttered as she grabbed the keyboard from Mark. 

_**[11:52] Brooks; The crops are potatoes, grown from the ones sent with us that were meant to be used for Thanksgiving. They’re doing great, the available farmland isn't going to be enough for long term sustainability. We’ll run out of food around Sol 850 or so. Also, from both Mark and I, tell the crew, what the fuck is wrong with you?** _

_**[12:03] JPL; We’ll be getting botanists in to ask you both some more detailed questions as well as to double check your work. Your lives are at stake, so we just want to be sure. Sol 850 is good, it gives us some more time to get the supply mission together. Also, please watch your language. Everything you type is being broadcasted all over the world.** _

_**[12:15] Brooks; I’ll be sure to keep Mark in line. We’ll check in with you all later. Watney and Brooks, over and out.** _

  
  
  
  
  
  
  



	10. SOL 110

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> emails and tears

_**SOL 110** _

* * *

With a grin, Liv placed the final basket of freshly harvested potatoes on the table. Dusting her hands on her pants, she moved a lock of hair out of her eyes. Mark was out working on cleaning off the solar panels, leaving her to harvest the recent potatoes that had grown. She sat at the table, and started counting them.

The last few days had been the two doing a lot of repeated things.

_Wake up._

_Check equipment._

_Talk to NASA._

_Man the farm._

_Make sure they don't somehow end up killing themselves._

Liv was glad that she wasn't by herself, and that she had Mark with her. He was honestly the only thing keeping her sane at this point. Surely she would of been losing her mind by this point if she had been by herself. Blowing out a sigh, she ran her hand through her hair, knowing that it would be time for another shower soon.

They were running out of shampoo.

"400, 401.." She hummed as she placed the last potato in the container, quickly writing down the number on the pad of paper. Liv moved quickly, placing the container back on its spot on the floor next to the other containers on the floor under the table.

Now that NASA can talk to them, they wouldn't leave them alone. Every day they wanted constant updates on the equipment, and Mark had to deal with people trying to manage his crops. She constantly shook her head whenever Mark ranted to her about them, saying how he was the best botanist on this planet.

"I just think it's funny that they're trying to tell you what to do when we're 45 million miles away." She had said with a grin on her face.

Since establishing connection with NASA, they had begun to receive data dumps, just like when they were on the Hermes. Most of it had been from family members-Liv had cried when she got the message from her mother and father- but a few were passed through that werent from family. The one that made her most excited was a letter from the President. Mark had been ecstatic when he received one from his alma mater. Apparently he had officially colonized Mars.

The last time Liv had talked to NASA, they had solved the weight problem with the Ares 4's MDV. Once it lands, they would ditch the heat shield, all of the life support and the empty fuel tanks. From there, they would take Liv and Mark with them to Schiaparelli. From what they had mentioned, they were working on figuring out the twos surface duties.

Cool.

Mark had mentioned to her earlier that morning that he would start to learn Morse code, just to have something if something were to happen to Pathfinder. She had to give it to him, it was a smart idea.

The sound of the airlock opening brought her out of her wandering thoughts, and a smile made way onto her face.

"Solar panels cleaned?" She asked as he started to take off the EVA suit.

"Cleaned and the people trying to manage my crops admit that i'm doing fantastic with them." Mark replied with a smirk on his face. "Also, NASA says that they have a couple emails for you, and maybe even a message from the Crew."

"Seriously?" She asked, surprise in her voice.

"Go find out, and stretch your legs. Take the rover for a ride." He spoke as he softly pushed her towards the airlock. Olivia laughed, as she moved towards where her suit was, making quick work of putting it on. With a final wave to Mark, she opened the airlock and step outside.

Probably should do an airlock check, she thought as she made her way to the rover, opening the door and climbing in. During their training, they had been taught on how to check the airlocks, once at the beginning of the mission and once towards the end. She would have to do a check and do any repairs if needed.

True to Mark's words, there were a couple messages for her once she started the rover and navigated through the emails.

_**Brooks,** _

_**I've already emailed Mark, and I'm sitting here trying to figure out what to write. I'm more than happy to hear that you're alive. As the person responsible for placing you in this situation, I wish that there was more I could do to help you. But, I have to give it to NASA for having a good rescue plan. We miss you up here on the Hermes. Rick doesn't have anyone to joke with, Vogel doesn't have you to talk German with. Beth misses having someone that gets her, and Beck just misses your sarcasm and energy. I miss you you a lot, and I can't wait til you and Mark get home.** _

_**Best Wishes,** _

_**Lewis.** _

Tears welling up in her eyes, Brooks started to write back her response.

_**Commander,** _

_**Pure bad luck and rather bad timing is responsible for our situation, not you and not the crew. You acted on the right call and saved everyone else. It must have been a tough decision. Any analysis of that day will show that it was the right choice to make. You got everyone else out safe and alive. Get everyone else home and Mark and I will be happy.** _

_**I miss the crew a lot as well. Send them my best wishes. Tell them to be on their best behavior or i'll kick their asses when I get back to Earth. I miss you as well Commander, it's honestly tiring keeping Mark in line. I'll never understand how you dealt with that.** _

_**Send them my love,** _

_**Olivia M. Brooks.** _

After sending it, the blonde leaned back in the seat, wiping at the tears that came out of her eyes. Running her hand down her face, she took a deep breath. Scrolling down, she saw the messages between Mark and Vincent, which Mark had told her to at least read his response, something about it being funny as fuck.

_**Mark,** _

_**Some answers to your earlier questions:** _

_**No, we will not tell our botany team to "go fuck themselves" I understand you've been stressed but we're in the loop now, and it's best if you listen to what we have to say.** _

_**The Cubs finished the season at the bottom of the NL Central.** _

_**The data transfer rate just is not good enough for the size of music files even if they were in their compressed formats. So your request for "anything, literally anything but disco music and olivia's angsty teenage music" is denied.** _

_**Also, an uncomfortable side note…. NASA is putting together a committee. They want to see if there was any avoidable mistakes that led to you and Olivia being stranded on Mars. Just a heads up. They may have questions for you both later on.** _

_**Keep us posted on your activities,** _

_**-Kapoor.** _

Mark's response was a couple lines down.

_**Vincent,** _

_**Tell the investigation committee they'll have to do their witch hunt without me or Liv. And when they inevitably blame Commander Lewis, be advise I will publicly refute it. I know the rest of the Crew would do the same. Also please tell each and every one of their mothers is a prostitute.** _

_**-Watney** _

_**[p.s and their sisters too.]** _

If she wasn't laughing before, Liv was laughing now.

She really was glad that she had him with her.

Blowing out a breath, she placed her helmet back on and headed back for the Hab, wanting to do the airlock test before she went to bed.


	11. SOL 111; i can only be strong for so long

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> some angst for yall

SOL 111

Honestly, Liv should have known that this day was coming. 

It was only a matter of time before her emotions got so bottled up, that they spilled over. She normally had a good hold on them, but being stuck on Mars, 45 million miles away from home had been slowly getting to her. 

That morning, it hit her. 

There was that chance that she would never make it home. 

She would never see the green grass again. 

The Blue sky. 

Rain. 

A sob worked its way out of her throat. 

She could only allow herself to be strong for so long. 

Thankfully she was alone, as Mark had left not that long ago to read some messages from NASA. So for a bit of time, she was allowed to sob in peace and quiet. Sobs escaped her, tears spilling down her face. Shakes racked her body, as she buried her head into the pillow. 

She fucking hated Mars. 

How much longer could she go for? 

How much longer before she wanted it to be  _ over _ ?

She cried out harder, unable to keep quiet any longer. 

She missed the sound of the airlock opening. 

Feeling arms pulling her up and resting her against something, made her sob harder. 

She wanted to be home. 

She wanted this to be over. 

Olivia could feel a hand on her back and on her head, trying to comfort her. A sense of familiarity and calm came over her. 

“You’re okay Liv, you’re okay.” Mark whispered softly to the blonde. It pained him to see his bestfriend like this. It hurt him, that he couldn’t take the pain away. He was surprised to see that she had gone so long keeping her emotions bottled up. 

All he could do for now was comfort her the best he could. 

“I just want to go home.” Liv spoke, tears slowly starting to taper off. 

It took roughly twenty minutes for tears to stop completely and for her to feel well enough to sit up by herself. “I don’t know what i would do without you here Mark.” She breathed out, as she wiped her face with her hands. 

“Trust me, I’ll find a way for both of us to get home.”


	12. SOL 120

SOL 120

She was doing better, at least she could say that. 

Mark had woken her up that morning with a cup of tea and her ration, and told her that she could help him water the plants when she was done. Sending him a grateful smile, she tucked into her breakfast, set on making this a good start to her day. Throwing the trash away, she grabbed the water that was left for her and started down the row of plants, watering them. 

She would be doing the airlock test at some point during the day, already having ran it though both Mark and NASA. She got their approvals. After making her way down the rows, she placed the watering can in its spot and went for a quick shower. 

Dressing in a pair of clean clothes, Liv started to make her way through the HAB, humming softly to herself. Mark was outside, working on cleaning off the solar panels, leaving her to her thoughts and to gather things she would need for the airlock test. 

The airlock test. 

It was simple, in word form that is. 

It was something that they had practice many, many times during training for the mission. And it was one of Liv’s jobs to do while they were on Mars. Once when they got there, and right before they left. The first test passed with flying colors, there was nothing out of the ordinary with the airlocks. 

All she had to do was use a little bit of smoke, to find any holes and patch them with the resin kit that was sent with them. 

Sounds easy right? 

The thing was however, NASA sent them to Mars with fire resistant things. Because, fire is bad. Fire could easily kill them. Luckily, Olivia knew a couple ways around that. She worked quickly, donning her EVA suit, and lighting some of the cross pieces they had left. She placed them, before she lit them on a piece of something that wouldn’t catch fire. 

The blonde let out a slight laugh as she moved quickly. She hummed softly as she moved out into the nearest airlock to her; airlock three. She waved the embers so that the smoke would go along the seams of the airlock. Everything looked good, nothing was out of place. No tears, no microscopic holes. Airlock three passed the test. 

Airlock two, like the other airlock, was hardly ever used. So Liv wasn’t surprised to not find any damages to the seams of the canvas. 

She caught a glimpse of Mark, he was leaning against the cleaned off panels, and she tapped into her com channel between them. 

“Airlocks two and three have no damage whatsoever to them. I’m about to check airlock one, so use one of the other two airlocks when you head back in please.” 

“As soon as you're done with the test we can tune into another episode of one of your shows?” 

“Which one, Doctor Who or Vampire Diaries?” She asked, a grin on her face. 

“Let’s do Doctor Who, I think we were almost done with season eight or nine.” 

-

Airlock one seemed to be a bit more troublesome. Right away she noticed a tear, very very small even with the smoke she could hardly see it. Liv knew that if they kept using it, without repairing it, it could cause trouble for her and Mark. If the hole got big enough, still microscopic it could blow the HAB. 

Thankfully she grabbed the resin kit before she went to do the airlock test. Liv made quick work, making the resin and spreading it over the canvas of the airlock. 

“Only if it had glitter.” She muttered to herself. Making sure that the resin was layered on enough, she waited for it to harden before she headed in towards the kitchen area. She clicked the buttons and her helmet released and she lifted it off her head. Wiping the sweat that built up, she quickly doffed her suit. 

“Everything is good, airlock one needed some patching up which didn’t take long. We should be good, but for safety measures, we should start rotating use of all three airlocks.” The blonde said as she grabbed her bottle of water, and leaned against the lab table. “What are you working on?” she asked, noticing that Mark was working on some sort of experiment. 

The male placed down the slide sample he was working on. “One of Vogel’s experiments that he was suppose to do. I sort of figured we could do them, so that in a way we could actually complete the mission that we set out to do.” 

“I like that actually. Then once we get back, we can give them the information that we found. Granted, it might not be the best but hey, at least its something.” She spoke with a shrug as she pushed off against the wall and headed to her bunk. “As soon as your done, I’ll have Doctor Who pulled up.” 


End file.
